Toy block.



S. W. FINCH.

TOY BLOCK.

MPLICATION FILED JAN-2B. 1915.

Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

s w. FINCH.

TOY BLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED IAN-28, x915.

1,201,719. Patented 0ct.17,1916.

'u l 6 -A& .V

S. W. FINCH.

- TOY BLOCK- APPLICATION FILED mmzs. 1915.

1,201,710. Patented Oct. 17,1916;

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- 1 x35. J-vwamhm Siwzky To all whom concern) Be it known that I, S'rANmir WQFmoH,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Linthicum, in the. county of. Anne Arundel and State of Maryland, have invented'certain new and'useful Improvements in Toy Blocks, of which the following is-a specification. v

My present invention pertains tov 1m proved toy blocks, adapted, more particularl'y-v for the construction or building-up of g various figures or. structuresby the use of suitable retaining 'means, preferably elastlc.

bands, which serve to 'maintainfthe blocks in their desiredcorrelated pos tlons.

The present construction may be. sa1dto be an improvement upon that disclosed Letters Patent gr nted to me under date of May 3, 1910, No. 956,632, and the mam object of the present invention is to so construct the blocks that they may be more readily assembled, and agreater range ofulti-- mate shapes or figures may be produced than under said patented construction. So, too, the rubber bands (or other fastening means, such as a string or spring) whlch are employed to secure the parts in place will, with the present construction, be less in ev1-' dence, particularly in an elaborate builtup structure than is the case under the patentedform or forms.

The invention is illustrated in the annexed drawings, wherein:

' Figure '1 is a" side-elevation of a horse.

composed of or formed from blocks made in accordance "with the present invention; Fig.

2 is a vertical transverse sectional view, on

the line 2'- -'2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of .achair; Fig. 4 a like view' of a cubical; block embodying-the underlying principle of theinvention Fig. 5 a sectional elevation of four of such blocks secured together by a'band; Fig. 6 a sectional view on" theline 6=-6-of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 aperspective 4 view ofatria'ngular. block;'Fig. 8 ,a'sectional elevation showing two such blocks" connected to two intermediate cubes; Fig. 9 an end elevation thereof; Fig. 10 a perspectiveview of 'a' half-cylindrical block; Fig. 11 a sectional elevation of two of such blocks assembled with two cubical blocks; Fig. 12 an end elevation ofFig. 1 1; Fig. 13 a sectional elevation of a hexagonal form composed of six blocks; Fig. 14 a side elevation of one Specification of Letters Patent. hrrlioatlon flled January 28; 1915. Serial No. 4,864. v

I of the blocks illustratedv in Fig-13; Fig. 15

'a' p erspect1veview thereof; Fig. 16 a similar -v1ew of a like block'of difierent angularity;

a bottom plan view thereof; Fig. 28 illus- Patented; oct. 17, 1916 Figs. 17 and 18 perspective views showing blocks .each havinga recessed or depressed face; 19 a view showing a triangular block with the cross slots arranged at right angles to those in Fig. 1.6; Fig. 20 a perspective view of a block havinga curved face; Fig. 21 illustrates a half cube or block;

Fig. 22a half block having a curved face;

1* 1g. 23 a cubical block having two cross slots only; Fig. 24 a quartenround block; Fig; 25 a' cubical block having but two crossslots and the encircling or side groove interrupted so-that it appears upon'two'sides only of the block; Fig. 26 a perspective view of a still further modification of the invention, showing the cross slots extended as grooves down along the sides of the block; Fig. 27*

trates a block similar to that shown in Fig. 26, but comprising two units, or being double the length of that shown in Fig. 26; Fig. 29 a perspective view of an oblong four-unit block; Fig. 30 a similar view of a like block having .ends of different forms; Fig. 31 a block of four-units length, one unit appearing in full cube form while one side of the three remaining'units is fashioned into an ogee curve; Fig. 32 a perspective view of a block having the form of an eighth of a sphere; Fig. 33 a view showing assembled a series of. blocksgof a still further modified form; Fig. 34 a quarterfcylindrical block;

Fig. 35" a cubical block having three cross slots instead of two, running across the block at right angles to each other; Fig. 36

a perspective view of 'a further modification;

Fig. 37 a similar View .of a still further modification; Fig. 38. a perspective view of a quarter-section block; and Fig. 39 a like view of a half-unit block of modified form.

.In the drawings, referring first to Figs.

4, 5 and 6,1 denotes the body of the block,

pair are preferably parallel and each pair slightly nearer the center of the block than to the edge thereof. There is thus produced a block having a solid base lying below the groove 2 and a series of upwardly-extending posts, denoted by 5, defined or produced by the intersecting slots 3 and 4.1 Said slots and the groove 2 are of such width as to admit of the ready entrance of a rubber band 6, particularly when it is stressed and consequently temporarily thinned, which band is employed to hold. the blocks together, as shown in Fig. 5, the band in this instance being placed in the grooves 2 of the four alined blocks. For the sake of clearness and in order to avoid needless repetition, the groove 2 and the slots 3, 3 and 4, 4 are similarly lettered in all the views.

- Where but a single pair of slots appears they,will be designated by 3, 3.

InFigs. 8 and 9, wherein the end blocks are shown as triangular, and of the form disclosed in- Fig.'7, the band is shown as positioned in the cross slots 4, 4, the end or looped portion of the band lying in the groove 2, upon the inclined face of the end blocks.

In Figs. 11 and 12 a similar arrangement is disclosed, the end blocks being half-round, as in Fig. 10, and being provided with but a single pair of parallel slots 3, 3,

In Figs. 14 and 15 a block having the form of an equilateral triangle is disclosed, and in Fig. 13 six of said blocks are ar-. ranged: in the form of a hexagon, held by a band 6.

In Fig. 16 a right-angled triangular block is disclosed, having two cross slots 3, ar-

ranged parallel to each other and to the base of the block.

Fig. 17 discloses a block having a rounded seat or depression 7 in one face thereof, and F igJ 18 shows a like block, with a V-shaped depression 8 therein, and with but a single pair of slots, 3, 3.

Fig. 19 discloses a right-angled triangular block with a single pair of slots, the slots in this instance extending toward the apex or at right angles to the base of the triangle, instead of parallel thereto, as in Fig. 16. i

In Fig. 20 the upper face of the block is curved, the curve extending. from a full- I unit height at one end to a half-unit dimension at the other.

Fig. 21. discloses a half-unit block with but a single pair of cross slots 3, 3.

The half-unit block disclosed in'Fig 22 has one face rounded.

In Fig. 23 a cubical unit block is disclosed, in which but a single'pair of crossslots is produced.

Fig. 24 shows a unit block having a quarhaving the cross slots 3, 3 and 4, 4 andthe encircling groove 2, alsohas shallow grooves '10, 10 and 11, 11, upon the lower portion thereof, upon each side and the bottom, the

grooves standing in line with the slots 3, 3

and 4, 4 respectively.

Fig. 28 discloses a double-unit block each end being formed with cross slots 3, 3 and 4, 4 and with shallow alining grooves 12 upon the sides of the blockbetween the circumferential grooves 2, 2.

A solid, four-unit oblong block is disclosed in Fig. 29, while a similar block is dis closedin Fig. 30, one end, however, being eurved'while the other is straight and in clined.

A solid, four-unit. block is disclosed in Fig. 31, three quarters of one side thereof presenting an ogee curve.

Fig. discloses a plurality of blocks in an assembled condition, two bands 6 being shown extending at right angles to each other, and the blocks having side grooves 9 on y. p 1

The block shown in Fig. 34 is of the quarter-round type having two cross slots 3, 3 and a centrally-disposed encompassing groove 2.

In Fig. 35 a still further modification is illustrated, in which, in addition to the two series of cross slots 3,3 and 4, 4 and the groove 2, the block is provided with grooves 13 and 14, which cross groove 2 at right angles, and pass entirely around the block at right angles to each other and intermediate the slots 3; 3 and 4, 4 respectively. The

groove 13 in the hpper part of the block is made of the full depth of the slots.

In Fig. 36 there is shown a block' provided with a single pair of parallel slots 3, 3*

extending inwardly from one face of the block to substantially the center thereof, and in Fig. 3'! a block is disclosed wherein there are tWo sets or pairs of slots 3, 3 and 4, 4 extending from one face of the block'and crossing at right angles, said slots likewise 'clude my invention and some of them appear in Figs. 1 and 2, wherein the figure of a horse is disclosed. The bands are omitted having depressed from these views for the sake of clearness, but it mav be said that the body in .transverse thickness is composed of three series of blocks (see Fig. 2) which are" readily con-' nected to each other bv slipping the bands downwardly into the cross slots 3, 3 or 4, 4

as the case may be; and the legs are similine with the body by reason of the flexible connection and the fact that the contacting faces of the body and members are curved upon the same radius. 4

In Fig. 3 the adaptability of the block to the building up of a chair is clearly indicated. j

- By the use of the slots 3, 3 and 4, 4', extending down half-way. through the block and into the grooves 2, 9, 10 or 11, one may readily position a rubber band, which will be substantially inclosed. So, too, one may slip a band into the alined slots of two blocks and then by merely pulling said blocks apart engage oneor more blocks by the tensioned band, the band readily slipping down into the corresponding slots and all the blocks being held when the pulling action on the end blocks is released. This will be clearly evident upon reference more particularly t Figs. 8, 11 and 33.

In Fig. 5 the blocks are shown as held together by the band 6, placed in the groove 2, the slots 3, 3 and 4, 4 of'the various blocks being left entirely free for the reception of other bands by which laterally-positioned blocks may be secured in place.

Itis found in actual use that the crossslots arranged in pairs renders the building up of structures much more simple and allows a latitude which does not obtain under my patented construction above referred to. So, too, fewer bands are required in the building-upof any particular form than with the old style of blocks, and with a single band a corner may be turned, whereas under the patented structure several bands were required. The blocks may be more easily and quickly assembled, since it is unnecessary to insert the bands between the blocks, the bands passing down directly into the slots in the blocks and being anchored by the end posts formed by the adjacent parallel slots. Again, a plurality of grooves serves as ornamentation and also renders any surface defects in the wood obscure, doing away with the necessity of painting or dyeing the blocks. Furthermore, the present form of blocks ermits the use of those aces, as illustrated in Figs. 17, 18, 20 and 31, and renders the bands invisible when the parts are assembled.

Upon reference to Fig. 33 it willbe seen that the band 6 stands out where it may be readily grasped, and further elongated, prepa'ratory to engage another block; and the same advantage obtains under the constructions disclosed in Figs. 25, 32, 33, 36 and 37 Furthermore, the block disclosed in Fig. 36

is especially adapted as a filler or interme- 'diate block, and is, of course, cheaper to manufacture than the other form.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a toy building-block having a plurality of parallel slots formed across and extending inwardly from one face thereof and merging at their ends into a groove formed upon those faces of the block where the ends of the slots appear. v

2. As a new article of manufacture, a toy building-block having a plurality of parallel slots formed across one face thereof and ex tending inwardly therefrom, said block also having a groove extending around the same and merging into the lower end portions of the slots.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a toy building-block having a plurality of pairs of slots extending across one face thereof and inwardly to approximately the mid-depth of the block, the slots of one pair being arranged at right angles to those of the other.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a toy building-blockhaving a plurality of pairs of slots extending across one face thereof and inwardly to approximately the mid-depth of the block, the slots of one pair being arranged at right angles to those of the other, the block likewise having a groove extending around the same-at right angles to the slots and merging with the lower portions .thereof.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a toy building-block having a plurality of pairs of slots extending across one face thereof and inwardly to approximately the mid-depth of formed in the block to one side of the groove and merging into the same, the body of the block, upon the opposite side of the groove, presenting plane unbroken surfaces.

7 As a new article of manufacture, a toy building-block having a groove adjacent its medial portion and likewise having two pairs of intersecting slots extending from one face of the block inwardly to the mid-depth thereof, said slots merging at their ends into the building-block having a plurality of pairs of groove the body of the block, upon the opposite side of the groove, presenting plane unbroken surfaces.

8. A toy building-block, having a plurality of parallel slots which enter from one face thereof and extend substantially to the mid depth thereof, the opposite face of the block being unbroken.

As a new article of manufacture, a toy slots extending across one face thereofand inwardly to approximately the center of the block, the slots of one pairbeing arranged at an angle to those of the other, the block likewise having a groove at an angle to the slots and merging with the lower portion thereof. 10. As a new article of manufacture, a toy building-block, having a plurality of pairs of 20 In testimony whereof I have signed my 25 v name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

V STANLEY W. FINCH.

Witnesses:

' HORACE A. DODGE,

BENNETT S. JONES. 

